Distributing device for printing machines



May 20, 1941. i w. F. HUCK 2,242,214

DISTRIBUTING DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed June 50, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WilZiamR'Hut/t.

ATTORNEY May 20, 1941.

W. F. HUCK DISTRIBUTING DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed June 30, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 56-1"? 65 IQS INVENTOR William EHuc/r.

ATTORNEY Patented May 20, 1941 DISTRIBUTING DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES William F. Huck, Richmond Hill, N. Y., assignor to R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June'30, 1939, Serial No. 282,292

' 17 Claims.

This invention relates to printing machines, and more particularly to improved means for reciprocating fluid distributing cylinders, such as ink distributing cylinders, or moisture distributing cylinders usually employed in ink and moisture distributing systems of printing machines. I

justing the amplitude of the reciprocatory movement of the roller or cylinlder, complicated and inconvenient operations must be performed to efiect the adjustment.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means for reciprocating ink or moisture distributing cylinders or rollers of printing machines through instrumentalities operably inter-, posed between each cylinder or roller and the operating components of the printing machine, and incorporating conveniently adjustable means for varying the amplitude of the reciprocatory stroke of each cylinder or roller.

Another object of this invention is to provide conveniently adjustable means operably interposed between the ink or moisture distributing cylinders or rollers of printing machines and the operating components of the machine to the end that the speed of reciprocation of the rollers or cylinders may be varied relative to the speed of the printing machine or to each other, and the amplitude of the reciprocatory stroke of the cyl inders or rollers conveniently varied.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a printing machine driving means operably interposed between the operating components of the printing machine and the ink or moisture distributing cylinders or rollers, the said driving means being variably operable 'to control the number of press revolutions required to produce each reciprocatory stroke of each distributing cylinder or roller.

A specific object of this invention is to provide in a printing machine a separate or independent fluid engine or motor for a selected ink or moisture distributing cylinder or roller, the motor being operably connected to the distributing cylinder or roller to reciprocate it, and the speed of operation of the motor being determined by a driven timing or distributing valve communicated with the motor and a source of fluid supply under pressure.

A more" specific object of this invention is to provide in a printing machine a separate or independent fluid engine or motor for a. selected ink or moisture distributing cylinder or roller, a movable component of the motor being operably connected to the distributing cylinder or roller to reciprocate it, and the speed of operation of the motor and the amplitude of its reciprocatory stroke being determined by a timing or dis-1 tributor valve communicated with the motor and a source offiuid supply, interposing a forced feed device or pump between the source of fluid supply and the timing or distributor valve, and driving the pump or forced feed device and the distributor valve through variable speed mecha: nisms operably interposed between an operating component of the printing machine and the pump and distributor valve.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a distributor mechanism for a printing machine of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eflicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objectsin view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, and details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any advantages of the invention.

For a complete disclosure of the invention, a detailed description of an improved mechanism for reciprocating distributing cylinders or rollers of printing machines will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a. part of the specfication wherein: W

Figure 1 ma fragmental side elevation of 'a printing machine showing the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 22 of Figure 1, parts being broken away and parts appearing in elevation, and

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken through the distributor valve on the line 3-3, indicated in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, there is depicted, a portion of a printing unit of a web fed multicolor offset perfecting press having the usual side frame members III which operably support the printing cylinders, inking mechanism and moisture distributing mechanisms, in conformity with the usual practice well understood by those skilled in the art. While only one frame member III is depicted in the drawings, it is, of course, to be understood that a similar frame member is provided at the opposed side of the machine.

Although this invention has been shown as applied to a rotary web fed offset perfecting press, it is to be understood, of course, that it may be applied to any type of press in which distributing cylinders are reciprocated.

In the drawings, there is depicted a plate or form cylinder ll rotatably supported in the machine frame members II by a shaft l2. The late or form cylinder is arranged to support the usual planographic plate employed in offset printing machines, and, inasmuch as this plate is of the usual well known construction, it has not been depicted in the drawings. Ink is supplied to the form on the plate or form cylinder 1 I through an ink distributing mechanism, which includes a fountain roller 13 rotatably supported by a fountain l5. Ink is conveyed from the fountain roller I I by a, ductor roller II of usual construction to an ink distributing cylinder I'I. Inking rollers II of usual construction engage the peripheral portion of the ink distributing roller or cylinder I! to uniformly distribute the ink thereon. A transfer roller 20 engages one of the inking rollers II and conveys ink to a second distributing roller or cylinder 2| from which the ink is conveyed to the form on the form cylinder II by form rollers 22. Ink is conveyed from one of the inking rollers ll by a transfer roller 23 to a third ink distributing roller or cylinder 25 from which ink is conveyed to the form on the form cylinder by form rollers 28.

A conventional dampening mechanism or moisture distributing system for the plate or form cylinder Ii is depicted, and it includes a fountain 28, fountain roller 20, ductor roller ll, distributing roller or cylinder 32 and form rollers 33. The form rollers 23 engage the form on the plate or form cylinder II to supply moisture thereto in conformity with the established practice which is well understood by those skilled in the art.

While the moisture distributing systems and ink distributing systems disclosed in this application are an exempliflcation of an improved form, it is to be understood, of course, that any suitabl moisture or ink distributing system in which reciprocatory rollers or cylinders are used may be employed in connection with this invention.

A blanket or-transfer printing cylinder 25 of usual construction operably engages the plate or form cylinder II and this blanket cylinder cooperates with a similar blanket cylinder 36, the blanket cylinders 35 and 28 engaging the running web W to perfect" or simultaneously print on the opposed sides thereof. A plate or form cylinder 31, similar to the plate cylinder I I, operably engages the blanket cylinder 36, and ink and moisture are provided to the form on the form cylinder 31 through an ink distributing system and a moisture distributing system similar to the hereinbefore disclosed systems for supplying ink and moisture to the cylinder ll, therefore these distributing mechanisms are not duplicated in full in the drawings.

In order to reciprocate selected rollers or cylinders of the ink distributing and moisture distributing systems, a fluid-actuated or hydraulic engine or motor 40 is provided for each selected component, and, in the arrangement illustrated, an engine or motor 40 is provided for each of the ink distributing cylinders l1, 2| and 28 and for other selected distributing components. However, in order to avoid duplication, the engines or motors 40 are depicted in the drawings as being operably connected to the cylinders or rollers I'I, 2| and 25, only, but, of course, it is to be understood that any selected reciprocatory roller or cylinder of the printing machine may be operated by such instrumentalities.

Each engine or motor includes a cylinder 4| having a piston 42 mounted for reciprocation therein, and the piston 42 is secured to a piston rod or stem 43, connected to the outer terminal of theshaft of the selected distributing roller. In Figure 2, one of the motors or engines ll is shown in cross section, and its piston rod or stem 43 is swiveledly connected to the outer terminal of the shaft 25a of the distributing roller 2| by means of a retaining member or cap 48. The pistons 42 of the remaining motors or engines All are similarly connected to the outer terminals of the shafts Ila and Ila of rollers or cylinders l1 and 2i. By this arrangement, the rollers i1, 2! and 25 may rotate relative to the piston rods or stems ll, and reciprocatory motion of each piston 42 will impart similar motion to its operably connected roller or cylinder. Each cylinder ll is provided at its outer terminal with a cylinder head I. through which a piston rod 2 slides, a suitable packing box "a being provided. Intermediate the terminals of each cylinder a fluid tight intermediate wall or partition 41 is provided through which also the piston rod 0 slides. The inner terminal of each cylinder II is secured by suitable securing devices ll to the outer wall of a frame member ID, and a chamber or recess ll is provided within each cylinder ll between the outer face of the frame member II and the partition 41 for the reception of the outer terminal of its distributor roller shaft. 7

In order to operate the pistons within the fluid pressure or hydraulic engine or motor cylinders 4|, a system of fluid supply is provided which includes a supply tank or container I2 conveniently located relative to the printing machine, and a pipe or conduit I extends from 4 this container to the inlet side of a rotary pump A plurality of ports 62 (see Figure 3) extend] through the cylindrical wall 83 of the valve housing 58, and these ports communicate with pipes or conduits 65, B8, 61, 68, I0 and H which lead from the valve housing 58 to the cylinders 4| of the fluid actuated or hydraulic engines 40. Although it is to be understood that any preferred number of fluid actuated engines or motors 40 may be provided, and any preferred number communicated with the control or timing valve housing 58, there is depicted in these drawings, for the sake of convenience and to. avoid duplication, three fluid actuated or hydraulic engines 40, and the cylinders of these engines are selectively communicated in predetermined sequence with the interior of the valve housing 58, as will be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In order to communicate the valve housing 58 with the engine cylinders 4| and with the supply and discharge conduits 56 and BI, there is provided a timing or distributing valve rotor 12 which is rotatably mounted within the valve housing 58 on a shaft 13 which is operably connected to a composite pulley or sheave having separate opposed frusto-conical components 15 and 16. This sheave forms a component of a well known commercial variable speed drive, commonly known as a Reeves" drive, and, inasmuch as this drive is well understood by those skilled in the art, it has been diagrammatically depicted in the drawings, and this desc:iption will be limited to its cardinal components. The frusto-conical component 15 of the sheave is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 13 to hold it against rotation relative thereto. The component 16 of the sheave is secured against rotation relative to the shaft 13, but it is axially slidably thereon, and a sleeve 11 extends outwardly from the sheave component 16. This sleeve is provided with an annular groove 18 for the reception of pins or rollers 80 carried by the bifurcated terminal 8| of a rocker arm 82 which is pivotally secured to a bracket 83, as indicated at 85. A manipulating member or screw 84 is swiveled to the bracket 83, and the inner terminal of the screw 84 threadedly engages the rocker arm 82, so that when rotary motion is manually or otherwise imparted to the screw 8| the rocker arm 82 is moved aboutits pivot or fulcrum 85 to thereby move the sleeved frustoconical component 16 of one of the composite pulleys 15-16 outwardly and the corresponding component 90 of an opposed composite pulley or sheave 90-92 inwardly. A more complete disclosure of the composite pulley or sheave 90-92 will be given hereinafter. By this arrangement a frusto-conical component of one composite expansible pulley or sheave may be moved towards its mating component to thereby increase the effective diameter of that composite pulley, and a frusto-conical component of the other composite pulley, moved away from its mate to thereby correspondingly decrease the efiective diameter of this composite pulley, so that an adjustable variable speed drive is provided. The opposed terminal of the rocker arm 82 is bifurcated, as indicated at 86, and the terminals of the bifurcated portions carry pins or rollers 81 which are received within an annular groove 88 formed in a sleeve 89 extending from the frusto-conical component 90 of the expansible composite pulley or sheave 90-92, which is similar in construction and arrangement to the expansible composite sheave 15-16. The sheave compomovement from the shaft 9| to the shaft 13, as will hereinafter be more fully disclosed.

A-pinion 95 is secured to the inner terminal of the shaft 9|, and this pinion meshes with a gear or pinion 96 secured to the inner terminal of a shaft 91, and the gear 96, in turn, meshes with a gear 98 which rotates with the cylinder 36. A composite expansible pulley I00, similar to the hereinbefore described .composite pulleysv 15-16 and 90-92, is operably supported by the outer terminal of the shaft 91, and this pulley is drivingly connected with a similar pulley 0| through the instrumentality of a belt or flexible band I02. The composite expansible pulley |0| is operably secured to a pump shaft I03 which is suitably secured to the rotor of the pump. Inasmuch as the pump rotor is of usual commercial construction, it has not been depicted in detail in these drawings. The expansible composite pulleys or sheaves |00-|0| are actuated through a mechanism, indicated generally at I04 similar to the mechanism hereinbefore described for adjusting the expansible pulleys 15-16 and 90-92. In order to communicate the interior of the valve housing 58 in predetermined sequence with the conduits which lead to the fluid actuated or hydraulic motors 40, the valve 12 is provided with a central or body portion I05 which extends di-' ametrically across the interior of the valve housing 58 so that its opposed concentrically-disposed ends or terminals I06 wipingly engage the irmer cylindrical surface of the valve housing 58. An arcuate vwing or flange |01 extends radially from one axial terminal of the valve body I05, and the outer or peripheral portion of the wing or flange |01 accurately engages the inner cylindrical surface of the valve housing 58. A similar wing or flange |08 extends radially from the opposed axial terminal of the valve body I05, and the peripheral portion of this wing or flange is shaped to accurately engage in wiping relation the cylindrical inner surface of the valve housnent 90 is mounted for axial movement on the ing 58. By this arrangement, when rotary mo. tion is imparted to the distributor or timing valve 12, fluid from the container 52 may be distributed in predetermined sequence to the cylinders ll of the hydraulic or fluid actuated engines 40, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

A safety or relief valve is interposed between the outlet conduit 56 of the rotary pump 55 and the container 52, and this valve includes a hollow casing 0 having a valve seat I formed therein surrounding a port which communicates with a conduit I I2 which leads to the valve casing 0 from the outlet conduit 56 of the rotary pump 55. Another conduit 3 extends from the valve casing 0 to the supply tank or container 52. A spring actuated valve 5 is held under tension against the seat I within the valve casing 0. By this arrangement, if a pressure in excess of a predetermined pressure exists Or is built up in the pump outlet conduit 56, then the relief valve 5 will be forced from its seat I to permit fluid from the pump to discharge back into the supply tank or container 52. I

Should the feed of ink be interrupted, or for any other reason, an unusual resistance to reciprocation of any of the rollers develop, the relief valve 5 will operate torelieve the fluid pressure and there will be no further reciprocation of the roller effected until the condition causing the resistance is corrected. This action avoids injury to roller coverings'that would be caused under similar conditions, in a machine in which the mechanism for reciprocting the rollers is positively driven.

In operation, the adjusting screw 84 of the selected variable speed Reeves" type drive is rotated so that a predetermined drive ratio is established. As the printing cylinders rotate, the cylinder gear 8. drives the pinions 98 and 95, thus imparting rotary motion to the shafts 91 and SI of the variable speed drives. Motion is imparted from the shaft 9! through the belt I to the valve drive shaft I3, and motion is imported from the drive shaft 91 through the belt' III! to the pump drive shaft I I3. As the pump shaft Ill rotates,

the rotary pump 5! draws oil or other suitable fluid from the container 82 through the conduit 53 into the pump housing I, and forces it from the pump housing 55, through the conduit 56 into the intake side of the distributor valve housing II. As the distributor or timing valve 12 rotates within the valve housing 58, communication in proper sequence is established with the conduit 58, fluid actuated or hydraulic motors 40, and the conduit 6| which leads back to the supply tank or container 52. Fluid from the valve housing 58 passes through the conduit of the selected cylinder 4|, and fluid on the opposite side of the piston of this cylinder flows back to the valve housing 58 and then through the housing 58 and the conduit 8| back to the supply tank 52.

In the position of the parts as depicted in Figures l and 2, oil or other fluid from the container 52 is drawn from the container 52 and forced through the rotary pump 55 into the distributor timing valve housing 58. From the housing 58 the oil or fluid passes through an uncovered port 62 into the conduit 65 and then into the cylinder II at the right side of the piston 42'. This cylinder, for the sake of convenience, has been shown in cross section in Figure 2. This fluid under pressure forces the piston 42 towards the left, and the fluid present in the cylinder at the opposite side of the piston 42 flows out through the conduit 66 back into the valve housing Bl, through the uncovered outlet port 6. and into the conduit 6| back to the container 52. In this depicted position, oil or other suitable fluid flows through the valve housing 58 in the manner hereinbefore described, and then through the conduit 61 into the cylinder 40, shown at the right in Figure l, and fluid is then exhausted from this cylinder through the conduit 88 back to the container 52 through the instrumentalities hereinbefore described. Also in the position depicted, the ports of the valve housing 58 which communicate with the conduit Ill and II are closed for the instant so that no power is imparted to the engine or motor depicted at the top of Figure 1.' During this instant the components of the timing or distributing rotor 12 are approaching the position to reverse the flow of the actuating fluid within the cylinder ll of the uppermost fluid-actuated motor 40 to initiate its reverse stroke.

By this arrangement a positive but flexible drive is provided for reciprocating the fluid distributing components of the printing machine in any preferred timed relation to the printing cycles of the printing machine. Although the rotors of the pump 55 and timing valve 58 are preferably driven from movable components of the' eration of the timing valve may be varied relative to the speed of operation of the press, and, also relative to the speed of operation of. the pump so that the amplitude of reciprocatory motion of the liquid distributing rollers may be varied and the timed duration of each reciprocation varied relative to the number of press revolutions.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and it will be further understood that each and every novel feature and combination present in or possessed by the mechanism herein disclosed forms a part of the invention included in this application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:

1. In a printingmachine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, 9. piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, 2. fluid-control valve communicable with a source of fluid supply and with the source of fluid supply under pressure and with the opposed terminals of the cylinder, a power driven component for the valve operable to simultaneously communicate the said fluid under pressure with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with the source of fluid supply to discharge fluid from the cylinder through the valve back to the source of fluid supply, whereby the piston and distributing roller are moved axially.

2. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a source of liquid supply, a pump communicating with the source of liquid supply, a constantly driven fluidcontrol valve communicable with the pump and the cylinder and operable to communicate the fluid under pressure from thepump with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with the source of liquid supply to discharge fluid from the cylinder back to the source of liquid supply whereby the piston and distributing roller are moved axially.

3. In a printing machine having a liquid dis tributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a valve housing communicable with a source of fluid supply under pressure and with the cylinder, a valve movable within the housing and operable to communicate the said fluid with the cylinder at one, side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with a discharge passage to discharge fluid from the cylinder whereby the piston and distributing roller are moved axially, and variable speed mechanism for driving the movable valve.

4. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributmg system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a source of fluid supp y, a pump communicating with the source of fluid supply, a valve housing communicable with the pu p and cylinder, a valve movable within the housing and operable to communicate the fluid under pressure from the pump with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with the source of fluid supply, variable speed mechanism for driving the pump, and a separate variable speed mechanism for driving the said movable valve.

5. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a valve housing communicable with a source of fluid supply under pressure and with the cylinder, a valve rotatably mounted within the housing, means for constantly rotating the valve, the

fluid with the cylinder Bit one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with a dischargepassage to discharge fluid from the cylinder whereby the piston and distributing roller are moved axially.

6. In a printing machine having a liquid dis.. tributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers inthe liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a valve housing communicable with a source of fluid supply under pressure and with the cylinder, a valve rotatably mounted within the housing and operable to communicate the said fluid with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with a discharge to discharge fluid from the cylinder whereby the pistonand distributing roller are moved axially, and variable speed mechanism for rotating the valve.

'7. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mountedfor axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a source of fluid supply, a pump having a movable component and communicating with the source of fluid supply, a fluid-control valve having a. constantly driven movable component and communicable with the pump and with the cylinder and .operable to communicate the fluid under pressure from the pump with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with the source of fluid supply to discharge fluid from the cylinder whereby the piston and distributing roller are moved axially, means for operably connecting the movable component of the pump with a mov able element of the printing machine, and means for operably connecting the movable component of the control valve with a constantly moving element of the printing machine.

8. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller coing system andmounted for axial reciprocatory movement, acylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a source of 6 fluid supply, a pump having a movable component and communicating with the source or fluid supply, a fluid-control valve having a movable component and communicable with the pump and with the cylinder and operable to communicate 10 the fluid under pressure from the pump with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with the source or fluid supply to discharge fluid from the cylinder whereby the piston and distributing roller are moved axially, and variable movable component of the control valve with a movable element of the printing machine.

9. In a printing machine having printing cylinders and a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for valve being operable to communicate the said axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, 9. piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a valve. housing communicable with a source 0 of fluid supply under pressure and with the cylinder,a valve movable within the housing and operable to communicate the said fluid with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to com municate the cylinder at the oppOsed side of the piston with a discharge to discharge fluid from the 40 ment of the valve may be varied relative to the speed of rotatlonof the said printing cylinder.

10. In a printing machine having printing cylinders and a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a source of fluid supply, a pump having a movable component and communicating with the source of fluid supply, a valve housing communicable with the pump and cylinder, a valve movable within the housing and operable to communicate the fluid under pressure from the pump with the cylinder at one side of the piston and to communicate the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with the source of fluid supply, variable speed mechanism operably connecting the movable component of the pump with a printing 0 cylinder whereby the speed of movement of the movable element of the pump may be varied relative to the speed of rotation of the said printing cylinder, and variable speed mechanism operably connecting the said movable valve with a printing cylinder whereby the speed of movement of the valve may be varied relative to the speed of rotation of the said printing cylinder.

11. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller oooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a stationary operable with other rollers in the liquid distribut- 7 valve housing having a plurality of fluid-distributing ports therein, a conduit commimicating theconstantly rotating the said valve whereby fluid from the source of fluid supply under pressure is conveyed through the valve housing and through a conduit into the cylinder at one side of the piston and from the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston through a conduit and through the valve housing to the discharge to thereby axially move the piston and distributing roller.

12. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distributing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a stationary valve housing having a plurality of fluid-distributing ports therein, a conduit communicating the cylinder at one side 01 the piston with a distributing port of the valve housing, a second conduit communicating the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with a separate distributing port of the valve housing, a fluid-inlet port communicating the valve housing with a source of fluid supply under pressure, a fluid-outlet port communicating the valve housing with a discharge, a valve 'rotatably mounted within the housing and constructed and arranged to operably cooperate with the said distributing ports, said fluid-inlet port, and said fluid-outlet port, and variable speed mechanism for rotating the said valve whereby "fluid from the source of fluid supply is conveyed through a conduit into the cylinder at one side oifluidsupplyandthevalvehoosingtoiorcethe fluid under pressure through the inlet port into the valve housing, a fluid-outlet port, an outlet conduit communicating the valve housing through thewtletportwiththesom'ceotfluidnwplLa valve rotatably moimted within the homing and constructed and arranged to operably cooperate withthesaiddistributingports,saidfluid-inlet port and said fluid-outlet port, means for constantly rotating the said valve, and means for rotatingthe said pump whereby fluid from the source or fluid supply is conveyed through the pump, valve casing and conduitinto the cylinder at one side of the piston and from the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston through a conduit, through the valve housing and outlet conduit back to the source oi fluid supply.

14. In 'a fluid pressure operated ink roller reciprocating mechanism for a printing machine, a cylinder. a piston mounted for reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and connected to and adapted to reciprocate the ink roller, a pump,

' valve to thepump and to the cylinder on opposite sides 01' the piston to pply fluid pressure to the cylinder to reciprocate the piston and ink roller.

of the piston and from the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston through a conduit and through the valve casing to the discharge to thereby axially move the piston and distributing roller.

13. In a printing machine having a liquid distributing system, a liquid distributing roller cooperable with other rollers in the liquid distribut ing system and mounted for axial reciprocatory movement, a cylinder, a piston mounted for axial reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and operably connected with the roller, a stationary valve housing having a plurality of fluid-distributing ports therein, a conduit communicating the cylinder at one side of the piston with a distributing port of the valve housing, a second conduit communicating the cylinder at the opposed side of the piston with a separate distributing port of the valve housing, a fluid-inlet port formed in the valve housing, a source of fluid supply, a rotary pump operably interposed between the source 15. In a printing machine, fluidpressure operated means for sequentially reciprocating a plurality of ink rollers, including a plurality 0! cylinders, a piston mounted for reciprocatory movement within each cylinder and connected to an ink roller, a pump, a reversing valve, means for constantly driving the reversing valve, and conduits connecting the reversing valve to the pump and to each cylinder on opposite sides of its piston to supply fluid pressure to the cylinder to reciprocate the piston and connected ink roller.

, 16. In a fluid pressure operated ink roller reciprocating mechanism tor a printing machine, a cylinder, a piston mounted for reciprocatory movement within the cylinder and connected to and adapted to reciprocate the ink roller, a pump, a reversing valve, means for constantly driving the reversing valve, conduits connecting the valve to the pump and to the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston to supply fluid pressure to the cylinder to reciprocate the piston anti ink roller, and a relief valve connected between the valve and the pump to limit the fluid pressure applicable to reciprocate the piston and roller.

17. In an ink roller reciprocating mechanism for a printing machine, a cylinder having a piston connected to and adapted to reciprocate the ink roller, 0. pump, a reversing valve, conduits connecting the valve to the cylinder and to the pump, and change speed-devices connecting the pump and the valve to the machine, whereby the speed oi the pump relative to the machine can be varied to regulate the length at the reciprocating stroke of the roller, and the speed of movement of the reversing valve can be' regulated to vary the number of revolutions oi the roller occurring during a reciprocatory stroke of the roller.

WILLIAM F. HUCK. 

